The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: The Millennium Trilogy, Book 1

Why we think it’s a great listen: How do you one-up a book that’s already a global literary phenomenon? Hire Simon Vance to (flawlessly) interpret the loves, lives, and murders of Sweden’s cold and secret-filled world. A spellbinding amalgam of murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue. It's about the disappearance 40 years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden.

COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN

I digested this book slowly over a number of weeks; I couldn't put it down, but I didn't want the story to end. This was one of the most interesting,..Show More » original, imaginative works of fiction I have read in years. Before I was finished I had order my own "to keep" copy of the hardback. Yes, the author delved into the dark side of life, but that dark side of the characters was necessary to drive the plot. I would recommend this book to anyone who can keep an open mind, enjoys great character development and appreciates a realistic ending.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder - and that the killer is a member of his own family. He employs journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, truculent computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history.

worthwhile

It is very hard to write a concise review of this book, as there is so much one could say about its strengths and weaknesses. Vast sections were extr..Show More »emely tedious, yet other, longer, sections were riveting and deeply engaging. I agree with an earlier reviewer's opinion that the novel could have done with a bit more editing. Some of the exposition is difficult to get through, and can be confusing at times. I say this as a reader who is not easily bored, and tends to enjoy the sorts of long realist novels most people find boring. Ultimately, once I got into the guts of this novel, I found it hard to put aside. I'd say the first hour or two, and the last couple hours of the audio version were not all that engaging, but I think there are a number of reasons for this, mostly personal. Others may find the Venestrom strain of the novel more interesting than I did.

The novel contains a good deal of fairly graphic sexual violence, and isn't for those who might be sensitive to this sort of thing. It is also very devoted to detail, so you will always know what the characters make themselves for lunch, for example. But I found this aspect of the novel interesting, and I think it enhanced the atmosphere and character development.

A very worthwhile audiobook. The narrator is phenomenal, and I appreciated that he captured the characters' voices and emotions without exaggeration or affectation. His narration increased the tension where appropriate, without being overwrought. Easily among the best audiobook narrators I've ever encountered.

The Girl Who Played with Fire

Lisbeth Salander is a wanted woman. Two Millennium journalists are murdered and Salander's fingerprints are on the weapon. Her history of unpredictable behaviour makes her the official suspect, but no-one can find her. Salander may be an expert at staying out of sight, but she also has ways of tracking down her most elusive enemies.

Excellent

This was another great listen. I enjoyed it more than the first in the trilogy, but that is purely personal preference. The tone of this one is not ..Show More »quite as dark as the first, and as a result lacks some of the tension, but I thought the overall plot was more interesting. This may be because we learn more about Lisbeth, and she's more present in this novel than in the first.

Again, Larsson is devoted to a lot of minute detail. Easily bored readers may find that parts of this novel seem sort of out of place, especially as there are a number of episodes that aren't related to the overall mystery. I personally enjoyed all of the threads that weave through this novel, because they are so expertly character driven. Sadly, it appears the audio version of the third book in the trilogy will be abridged.

If I have one complaint, it's that the translator makes a few mistakes in his choice of certain English words, with slightly amusing results, e.g. "noisome."

Saul Reichlin is excellent again as the narrator. This is exactly the sort of narration I look for in an audiobook, rather than a dramatization of the work. As I said in my review of the first book, I think he captures the characters' voices perfectly, without affectation or awkwardness.

The Girl Who Played with Fire: The Millennium Trilogy, Book 2

Mikael Blomkvist, crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to publish a story exposing an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government. On the eve of publication, the two reporters responsible for the story are brutally murdered.

irritatingly engrossing

I live in Beijing. I drive or take the subway several times a week and that is when I listen to Audible books. I do not listen to them at home. If ..Show More »I did, I would go through my Audible library much too quickly and my credit card balance would, all too soon, reflect the damage. I am highly disciplined about this. When I get to the door of my apartment, the book clicks off, and podcasts or music must suffice during housework or down time. I know that this is a slippery slope, so I am far too wise to make exceptions.

I listened to the last four or five hours of this book while baking, taking a bath and, finally, lying on my bed, transfixed. Unacceptable!

It breaks my heart that Stieg Larsson is no longer with us. On the other hand, it is going to make it a lot easier for me to return to a regime of no Audible.com books at home.

Some readers have found the detail in the book overwhelming. For me they were an important part of the texture of the story which moves like real life. When the author puts so much at stake for the characters, the realistic details become loaded--which of them will prove to be crucial, life changing? Which of them are simply part of the unimportant background? If Larsson had not created such engaging and fascinating characters or a situation so charged with danger and dark possibility, they would be tiresome. Instead, I found myself picking my way through them as through a mine field.

In addition, the plot works like a well oiled machine, a very complex machine. In the end you must just give yourself up to it and live it out to the end with Salander, Blomkvist and the fifteen or twenty other memorable characters in the book. Brilliant work!

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Lisbeth Salander lies in Intensive Care with a bullet lodged in her head. She will face trial for three murders and one attempted murder on her release. With the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist, Salander must not only prove her innocence, but identify and denounce the corrupt politicians that have allowed the vulnerable to become victims of abuse and violence. Salander is now ready to fight back.

A Fabulous Finale

It is rare that a series gets stronger as it goes along, but Hornets' Nest is a terrific finale. When I got to the last part of the book, I sat for f..Show More »ive hours straight so that I could find out what happened. It is a great feminist novel, though many readers might not notice...

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest: The Millennium Trilogy, Book 3

Lisbeth Salander—the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels—lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority.

Perfect.

Sometimes when you're done listening to a book, you just can't stand the silence that follows. This is precisely the case here. I miss Lisbeth. I miss..Show More » Simon's voice. I miss thinking about what Larsson was going to do with the plot.

Simon Vance is the perfect reader for this exciting conclusion to the trilogy. I'm ready to listen to it again so I can pick up more detail. Excellent.

Millennium Series: Book 4

The girl with the dragon tattoo is back: Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist return in a continuation of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series. Written by Swedish novelist and journalist David Lagercrantz, this much-anticipated continuation to one of the best-loved crime series of the last decade will be published in Sweden as Det som inte dödar oss (What Doesn’t Kill You).